Improvement in knitting-machines



4 Sheets--Sheet i. C. CALLAHAN. Knitting-Machines.

N0.140809, Patentedlulyl5, 1873..

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c. CLALLAHAN.

Knitting-Machines.

AMPIIOTO-LITHIJGRAPHIC ca lvx (mmns r'nacsss) 4 Sheets--Sheet 3.

c. CALLAHAN. Kn it ti n g -'M an h i n es.

Patented Ju iy 15, 1873.

AM PHOT0-LITH06RAPHIC 00. MY. osaonus's Pnoe'wQ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CORNELIUS CALLAHAN, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND EDWIN E. SIB LEY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,809, dated July 15, 1873; application filed June 20, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS GALLAHAN, of Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Weft-Thread Knitting-Looms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved weft-thread knitting-loom. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the center of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line m w of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 3 y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail taken in a plane passing between the drawing-rolls. Fig. 6, detail in perspective. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 2 z of Fig. 2. Figs. 8 and 9, perspective views of the thread-guides. Figs. 10 and 11 are side elevations of the needles employed. Fig. 12 is an elevation of a straight needle, to be referred to. Fig. 13, detail.

. In weft-thread knitting-looms, as heretofore constructed, the division or separation of the needles into two rows to admit of the introduction of the weft-thread between them brought a considerable strain upon the loops, and when a close fabric was being produced, or a knot occurred which could not be pulled through the loop, the thread was extremely liable to be broken on account of the strain upon it, causing delay and imperfections in the work.

The first part of my invention has for its object to enable me to divide the needles into two rows without producing any extra strain whatever upon the thread, thus entirely avoiding the liability of its being broken, as heretot'ore; and consists in the peculiar construction of the needles and the needle-cylinder, whereby the needles, as they are operated, are divided into two rows and again brought back into a single row or line at the proper times without stretching the loops or bringing any additional strain upon the thread. The second part of my invention has for its object to produce a stop motion, which will be certain and rapid in its action, so as to arrest the motion of the machine in' the short est possible space of time in the event of the breaking of any one of the threads; and consists in a ring which isconnected with the shipper, by which the driving-pulley is thrown in and out of action, said ring being coupled with the needle-cylinder and caused to move therewith until it stops by mechanism, such as is hereinafter described, brought into ac tion by the breaking of any one of the threads. My invention also consists in a relievingstop, to be used in connection with the stopmechanism,whereby in case the pawl or device by which the ring is coupled with the needle-cylinder on the breaking of a thread should bind, it may be relieved to permit its drop rod, which is supported by the thread when unbroken, to be raised without turning the driving-shaft backward, which cannot be done without liability of breaking the needles or deranging the machine. My invention also consists in a pair of drawing-rolls attached to a frame revolving with the needlecylinder and actuated by a worm and gear or other suitable device, in combination with a support for the spreader, which is employed to keep the fabric stretched at full width, whereby an equal tension is brought upon the fabric to draw it-down evenly, and the spreader is supported in its proper place above the rolls and prevented from interfering with their action, as would be the case if the support was not employed. And my invention furthermore consists in certain other details, to be hereafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A represents the bed of the machine, which is supported upon legs a. Within the bed A is fitted a cylinder or bearing, B, provided with a flange, I), which rests on the upper surface of the bed. Within the cylinder B is fitted, so as to revolve freely, the needle-cylinder C, at the lower end of which is a bevel-gear, c,.with which engages a bevel-pinion, d, on the end of the driving-shaft e, to the outer end of which is secured the driving-pulley D, the construction of which will be hereafter described; Out

side the upper portion of the needle-cylinder is placed the stationary cam-cylinder E, composed of two portions united together by screws passing through the flanges f, and this ream-cylinder is supported upon posts 9, upon which it is raised or lowered by means of adjustingnuts h fitting over screw-threads, so as to vary the length of the loops to produce coarser or finer fabrics. The exterior of the needle-cylinder is provided with a series of vertical grooves for the reception of the needle slides or bases 41 70, to which the latched needles I m are secured. Each of the needleslides is provided with a projection, n, and these projections fit into the cam-groove p of the cylinder E; this groove having suitable inclines by which the needles are operated at the required times to form the loops as the needle-cylinder is revolved in a well-known manner.

I will now describe the construction of the needles and the manner in which they are divided or separated into two rows as they rise, to allow the weft thread or threads q to be introduced a short distance in advance of the point where the knitting-loop is formed. In the machine represented in the accompanying drawings two sections of needles are employed, each section extending halfway around the circumference of the machine, and having separate warp and weft threads, 0" 3 representing the knitting-points, and t u the points where the weft-threads are introduced. A single section of needles only may, however, be used, or more than two sections, if desired, the form of the camgroove 12 being such as to elevate and depress the needles at the proper times. The needles lm are bent in the form seen in Figs. 10 and 11, each one having two straight portions, 20 21, and an inclined or bent portion, 22, the bent portion of the needle 1 being inclined in the opposite direction to that of the bent portion of the needle m, and the alternate grooves of the needle-cylinder, in which the needles m slide, are cut under, as seen at 23, Fig. 2, while the grooves in which the needles l slide are made straight. As the needles rise through the loops, the upper vertical portions of the nee dles l are carried inward, while the upper vertical portions of the needles m are carried out ward, thus forming two separate rows or lines above the work to allow of the easy introduction of the weft or filling thread or threads, without bringing any strain whatever upon the loops, the bent form of the needles themselves producing the required separation as they slide up through theloops; whereas, when straight needles are employed, as heretofore,

the alternate ones require to be forced out of line with respect to the others, which brings a strain upon the loops and endangers the breaking of the threads, especially where a close fabric is being knit. As the needles approach the knittingpoint they are drawn down by the cam-groove-p, when the inclined portions 22 of the needle I will bear against the upper edge of the needle-cylinder, causing their upper vertical portions to be forced outward, the cam-cylinder being cut away at 24 to prevent the contact of the tops of the slides of these needles therewith, while the inclined portions of the needles m will be received by the deep or cut-under portions 23 of the grooves in which they slide, (being kept therein by the tension of the work,) and the needles are thus brought back into a single row or line, so that their hooks will catch the knitting-threads o and form the loops, as required, the weft thread being brought down into place by the pressure of the knitting-thread as the loops are formed. An evident modification of my invention in this respect would be to bend only the alternate needles either inward or outward, the others being straight, as seen in Fig; 12, and running in straight grooves, the grooves in which the bent needles run being out under, as above described, if bent outward; but if bent inward, the cam-cylinder must be cut away to prevent the contact of the slides of the needles therewith as they descend. a a are the guides for the knitting-threads, and b b the guides for the weft-threads, each thread passing through a separate notch, 25. Each of these guides consists of a plate supported upon a shaft, G, which passes through a ring, 11, surrounding the cam-cylinder, the shaft being held in place by a screw, 26, by which means the thread-guide can be adjusted vertically and horizontally to enable it to be brought into the exact position required. The guides b b are each provided with a projectin g piece, 27, on the inner side, which lies in close proximity with the needles, so as to prevent their latches from being accidentally thrown up against the hooks, which would cause stitches to be dropped; or thrown up partially, which would cause the breakage of the latches; and between the thread-guides a and b}, and attached to the latter, are curved wire guards c for the same purpose.

The construction and position of each of the thread-guides b is such as to cause the weftthread or threads to be laid between the needles at the point where they commence to separate into two rows, and to prevent the thread from getting outside the outer row or inside the inner 'row.

The knitting and weft threads are led from spools or bobbins I K, which revolve freely on vertical spindles rising from the bed A, the threads passing around one or more curved tension-rods, d which are supported by ver- These drop-rods operate the mechanism for automatically stopping the machine in the event of the accidental breaking of a thread, in a manner to be presently explained. Near the upper end of each rod f is a hook, 30, which is placed over the thread, and by which it is supported, the tension on the thread bein g sufficient for this purpose, the intermediate fiat portion of the thread-guide between the slot 29 and the notches 25 serving as a bridge, over which the thread lies, and by which it is supported and prevented from sagging with the weight of the rod. Each of the drop-rodsf passes down through openings 9 in the flanges f b and bed A, and is provided at its lower end with an eye, through which passes the upper portion of a bent wire arm, h attached to a pawl, 31, pivoted upon a stud projecting from a ring, L, which is fitted around the lower portion of the cylinder B, so as to move freely thereon in a horizontal direction. Each drop-rod is thus connected with a separate and independent pawl, 31, which is held up by the drop-rod, when the latter is supported by its thread. Two independent pawls, 31, are pivoted on each stud, and two drop-rods pass through each of the openings 9. If three threads should be used in connection with a single thread-guide three drop-rods connected with the same number of pawls must be employed, and so on. The ring L is connected by a knuckle-joint, 32, with a shipper, N, which serves to uncouple the driving-pulley D from the driving-shaft e, or conple it therewith.

Should any one of the threads accidentally become broken its rod f being no longer supported thereby, will instantly drop, and with it its pawl 31, which falls into one of the teeth of the revolving'ratchet-wheel M, which thus instantly sets in motion the ring L, which, through the connections described, operates the shipper and stops the machine, the ring L moving with the needle-cylinder until it stops. The attendant then unites the broken ends of the thread, and replaces it under the book of its drop-rod, which is raised for this purpose, the pawl being thereby lifted out of the tooth in the ratchet wheel. The ring L is then turned a short distance by means of a handle, P, into the position seen in Fig. 1, which again operates the shipper N and sets the machine in motion. As the ring is moved in either direction the wire arms h slide through the eyes at the lower ends of the drop-rods, which consequently remain undisturbed by the movement. Were it not for this device the drop-rods would be sprung to one side and drawn down, disarranging all of the threads,

and requiring all of the drop-rods to be drawn up and readjusted in position. When any one of the drop-rods is not required to be used it may be supported to hold up its pawl by hooking it over the guide at the end of the slot 29 in which it plays, a device for thus supporting any rod or rods not in use being necessary, as otherwise the machine could not be run if all of the threads were not employed. I By providing the thread guides with independent notches 25-one for each thread-the threads are free to act upon the stop mechanism independently of each other;

whereas, if two or more threads were led done without delay in order to avoid imper-' fections or holes in the fabric. When the ring L is caused to move with the needlecylinder by the dropping of one of the pawls 31 it is sometimes carried around by the momentum of the cylinder until it strikes against the inner end of a hand-lever, Q, which is pivoted to the under side of the bed A, and is swung around into the position seen in Figs. 1 and 3 so as to cause its inner end to act as a stop to arrest the motion of the needle-cylinder and prevent it from being thrown. around too far by its momentum. When this takes place the pawl is generally held down firmly by the tooth of the ratchet-wheel, which would prevent it from being easily raised by its droprod without turning the needle-cylinder backward, which cannot be done without breaking the needle or deranging the machine. By vibrating the hand-lever Q, however, into the position in dotted lines in Fig. 3, its inner end is withdrawn out of contact with the handle P, when the ring L can be moved thereby sufficiently to relieve the pawl and allow of its being readily raised by means of its droprod.

It is evident from the foregoing explanation of my stop that as long as either of the droprods is allowed to remain down the machine cannot be operated or, in other words, until all the rods are placed in proper position the machine cannot be started, thus guarding it against carelessness or inexperience in the operatives.

I will now describe the tension and take-up mechanism, by which the finished fabric is drawn down through the hollow needlecylinder as fast as it is knit and wound up on a beam or roll. It is a frame attached to and projecting down from the under side of theneedle-cylinder, the lower cross-bard of the frame being provided at its center with an opening, through which projects a central stud, k rising from the point where the braces l, which extend across between the legs a, unite; and over this stud k is fitted a large stationary gear, S, which is securely fastened means of gears 0 p secured thereto outside their bearings. Vis a pinion attached to the lower end of a short vertical shaft, 8, which revolves in a hearing, it, attached to the frame It, and carries at its upper end a worm, W, which engages with a gear, 9, on the end of the shaft of the roll T, opposite to that to which the gear 0 is attached; and thus, as the needlecylinder is revolved the pinion V is carried around the stationary gear S, by which it is revolved, and with it the drawingrolls T U, through the connections described. Between these rolls passes the fabric A, which is thus drawn down with the required degree of tension, after which it is led to the take-up roll it, upon which it is wound as fast as it comes from the drawing-rolls. Instead of the wormwheel W some other equivalent device may be employed for communicating the motion of the revolving frame to the drawing-rolls. The take-up roll is provided with sharp points or projections to hold the fabric, and is made removable so as to admit of the fabric being readily taken off when a suiiicient quantity has been wound thereon; and to'allow of this being done one end of its shaft rests in an open bearing, 12, formed at the end of an arm,

c attached to the frame R, while its opposite end fits against the end of a short shaft, W, with which it is connected by a pin or projection, a, fitting into a groove. The shaft b is revolved, and with it the take-up roll, by a pulley, B, which is connected by a belt, d passing over a pulley, 0, attached to one end of the shaft of the roll T. The hearings or boxes n n of the roll U slide in housings c and are made adjustable toward or from the bearings m of the roll T by means of screws The distance apart of the drawingrolls can thus be varied for fabrics of different thicknesses, and by means of this adjustment the required draft or tension upon fabrics of different thicknesses is produced, and the tension is brought equally upon all portions of the width of the fabric, thus insuring an equal draft or tension thereon, and preventing a greater strain from being brought upon some of the needles than upon others. The diameter of the drawing-rolls and their surface-motion is such that they will produce the required amount of tension on the coarsest fabric, which is knit with the greatest rapidity, to draw it down as fast as it is made, and keep it stretched as desired, while, when a finer fabric is being knit, which is not delivered so fast, the distance apart of the rolls is adjusted so that they will slip on the fabric, as is necessary owing to the difference between the surface motion of the rolls and the speed with which the fabric is produced. The friction of the rolls upon the fabric is, however, always made sufficient to produce the required tension by varying the amount of slip so as to draw down the fabric at the exact speed desired, while the belt (1 is made to slip upon the pulleys B O, as is necessary in consequence of the constantlyincreasing diameter of the roll of fabric upon the take-up roll.

By making the take-up roll removable, as

previously described, when a given amount of fabric is wound thereon it can be cut oil below the take-up roll, and the end again secured thereto after what has been previously wound thereon has been removed, thus avoiding the necessity of removing the fabric from between the rolls, and the consequent derangement of the tension.

A great advantage is thus gained, as otherwise much time would be lost in readjusting the drawingrolls and getting them into a proper working condition.

When the work is to be commenced a piece of knit fabric of sufiicient length is set onto the needles in a well-known manner, and, to facilitate the passage of its lower end between the drawing-rolls, the nuts 34, which secure the pulleys B O to their shafts, are loosened so as to allow the rolls to be turned by hand without turning the worm W and pinion V, which would necessitate the movement of the needle-cylinder. Within the fabric below the needle-cylinder is placed a spreader, 36, consisting of a straight rod or bar, which serves to keep the fabric stretched at its full width, and prevents it from being doubled under or wrinkled as it passes between the rolls T U. This spreader is supported and prevented from-dropping down upon the rolls T U, and interfering with their proper action, by a bar, k which is secured to the frame B, and provided with a long narrow slot, 37, of sufficient width to allow of the passage of the fabric but not of the spreader, which is thus supported in its proper position above the rolls.

The construction of the driving-pulley D, and the manner in which it is caused to act either as a fast or loose pulley, will now be described. i is acircular plate or disk, which is secured immovably upon the driving-shaft e, which projects some distance beyond it, and over this projecting portion of the shaft fits the sleeve or hub 76 of the shell or main portion l of the pulley, the rim 38 of which fits closely over the periphery of the disk i and incloses it, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. An annular groove, m ,-is formed in the disk i around the drivingshaft 0, and into this groove is fitted the end of the sleeve 70 provided with ashoulder, 39, and on the end of the shaft 0 is a screw-nut, 40, which serves to hold the main portion of the driving-pulley in place, a shoulder, 41, on the shaft 6 preventing the shoulder 39 at the inner end of the sleeve b from being forced by the screwnut 40 against the disk i with sufficient force to prevent the freerevolution of the main portion l of the pulley upon the end of the driving-shaft. The sleeve k furnishes an extended bearing, and serves to steady and hold the portion 1 as it is revolved by the belt passing over it. To the disk 1, near its periphery, are pivoted at points 42 diametrically opposite each other, two curved levers, D, the outer side of each of which is provided with a groove for the reception of a strip of leather, 43, and through the outer portion 44 of each of these curved levers, which is cut away at 45, passes a regulatingscrew, 46, the head of which rests upon the inclined portion 47 of a block, a, which slides horizontally through the disk i and is se cured to or forms a part of a ring, 19 arranged to slide toward and from the pulley on a collar on the driving-shaft e. The periphery of the ring 10 is provided with a groove, 48, in which fit the hooked ends of the shipper N, which remain in the groove when the ring is revolved.

When the parts are in the position seen in Fig. 7, the main or loose portion of the pulley revolve freely around upon the driving-shaft without imparting its motion thereto; but on turning the ring L by moving the handle I? to the right, the ring p is carried in by the shipper toward the disk 0", and the blocks a advanced, which causes the levers D to be thrown out from the center by the action of the inclines 47 on the heads of the screws 46, and the levers are thus forced tightly against the interior surface of the rim 38, the friction thus produced causing the loose or main portion 1 of the pulley to be clutched or coupled with the disk 4?, which instantly sets the machine in motion.

When the shipper N is moved in the contrary direction by means of the handle 1? or by the breaking of a thread, as previously described, the blocks a are withdrawn, and the levers D are drawn back by means of springs 49 bearing against pins 50, into the position seen in Fig. 7, when the portion 1 will beinstantly unclutched or uncoupled from the disk 6 and the motion of the machinebe arrested, as desired.

By means of the adjusting-screws 46, the distance to which the levers are thrown out by the inclines 47 and the consequent amount of friction produced maybe regulated, as desired, in accordance with the amount of power required to drive the machine.

It will be seen that the levers D, owing to their peculiar construction and the manner in which they are applied, require a' very slight movement of the inclined blocks a to throw them into or out of contact with the interior of the rim 38, and consequently a very slight movement of the shipper N will-stop the machine, and a pulley, constructed as above described, is therefore particularly adaptedfor knitting-looms, as it is of the greatest import: ance to arrest the motion of the needle-cylinder as quickly as possible after the breaking of a thread, in order to avoid holes and imperfections in the fabric.

This pulley may, however, be applied with great advantage to various other descriptions of machinery, and no claim is here made to it, as it forms the subject ofanother application for Letters Patent. I

The knit fabric produced by the above-described machine can be fulled and finished so as to form broadcloths, cassimeres, and similar fabrics, the cost of which can be greatly reduced, as a weft-thread knitting-loom will turn out a very much larger quantity of work in a given time than the ordinary shuttleloom. i

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi 1. A needle for knitting-machines having an angular or bent portion, 22, below the piv- 0t of the latch, and in that part of the needle which traverses through the loop, wherebythe needles may be brought into and out of line without stretching the loops, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a series of needles, constructed substantially as described, the needle-cylinder 0 having alternate straight and cut-under grooves for their reception, substantially as set forth. I

3. The ring L provided with pawls and drop-rods for operating the shipper by which the driving-pulley is thrown into and out of action, substantially as described.

4. The ring L, connected with the shipper and provided with a series of pawls engaging with a rotating ratchet-wheel connected with or forming a part of the needle-cylinder, in combination with the rods f by which the pawls are operated on the breakage of a thread, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the ring L for actuating the shipper, the relieving-stop Q operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

6. The drop-rodsf supported by the threads and passing directly down through openings 9 in combination with the pawls and ratchet to operate the stop mechanism,'substantially as set forth. I

7. The drop-rods f with their hooks 30, in combination with the slotted thread-guides a D all constructed substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. The pawls 31 provided with arms h sliding through eyes at the lower ends of the drop-rods f substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I

9. The independent pawls 31, each connected with a separate drop-rod and pivoted on studs projecting from the ring L, in combination with the ratchet-wheel M, operating substan tially as and for the purpose described.

10. The adjustable drawing-rolls T U attached to a frame revolving with the needlecylinder and actuated thereby, in combination with a support, If, for the spreader placed above the rolls, substantially as described.

Witness my hand this 16th day of June, A. D. 1873.

CORNELIUS OALLAHAN.

In presence of- P. E. TESGHEMACHER, W. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

